Brush Fire Causing Nuisance

A brush fire in Perry County leaves a cloud of smoke that may not go away anytime soon. Firefighters, the division of forestry and the EPA have all been to the scene along Highway 451 near Browns Fork several times in the last week.

Fire crews were called to the scene again at around 10:00 p.m. Wednesday night.

Rangers issued a smoke advisory earlier in the day because it was so thick, but firefighters say there's not much they can do.

Smoke billows again from this brush fire again, making it difficult for anyone passing through. It's also a headache for firefighters and the landowner, Roy Campbell.

"I've put signs up, I've done everything I know to do. I even put a string of fence posts up and they were pushed down," said Campbell.

Fire officials say last week the EPA gave Asplundh tree trimming service 30 days to haul out the brush. A back hoe used to fight the first fire turned up some of the company's equipment buried in the pile.

"It's hard to hide the evidence and say we didn't do it because right there it is," added Campbell.

"Very frustrating. There's nothing that we can do about it because the more water we put on it, it's like adding fuel to the fire, said Avawam Volunteer Fire Department Assistant Chief Leonard Toler.

Firefighters say spontaneous combustion could be the cause of the fire, but some believe it could be arson.

Neighbors who live nearby are worried the fire may get out of control.

"We're worried about the trees getting burned and the smoke in general making it hard to travel up and down the road," said Luellen Begley.

Many agree it's time for the smoke to clear.

Our attempts to reach Asplundh were unsuccessful Wednesday night.

For now, firefighters say the brush fire is just a nuisance and isn't threatening any homes in that area.

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